1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for adjusting the ash balance of cow's milk and/or other milks and simultaneously removing minerals from the same, more particularly it relates to a process for removing minerals contained in cow's milk and/or its analogues and at the same time adjusting the balance of mineral components contained in the same by means of ion-exchange membranes.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the production of cow's milk powder it is desirable to resemble its composition to that of human milk. However, the content of minerals in milk used as a material of powdered milk is higher as compared with human milk and accordingly it is required to demineralize it in the process of the production of infant milk powder.
Since demineralization by means of ion-exchange membranes does not cause an abrupt change in pH and accordingly does not cause a denaturation of proteins due to its mild demineralizing properties, it is said to be an advantageous means for demineralizing of materials containing a large amount of protein such as milk and its analogues.
The demineralization by the use of ion-exchange membranes according to the prior art is, however, merely to reduce the contents of minerals irrespective of the mineral balance contained therein and it was difficult to adjust the rate of removal of each salt component contained therein.
Accordingly when a highly demineralized milk obtained by means of ion-exchange membranes is to be used for the production of infant milk powder at present, adjusting of the desired ratio of each mineral component is attained merely by selecting the compounding ratio of milk with other materials to be added. Since, however, there is a limitation in this procedure, it is preferable to adjust the ratio of each mineral component during the demineralization process by the use of ion-exchange membranes.